Director’s Statement
Dexter Wimberly, Executive Director
Un | Fixed Homeland is the first exhibition to open at Aljira during my tenure as
executive director. In many ways, it both sets the tone and raises the bar for
the kind of projects I envision taking place in our galleries. Given its elegance,
it’s easy to assume that this exhibition came together without significant
challenges. However, what you see in the pages of this catalog is the result
of Herculean effort and vision on the part of the exhibition’s curator, Grace
Aneiza Ali, as well as the generous support of The Andy Warhol Foundation
for the Visual Arts.
Un | Fixed Homeland brings together the work of thirteen multi-generational
artists of Guyanese heritage in a presentation that is at once thoughtful,
inspiring, and dare I say, educational. The theme of the exhibition struck a
personal chord with me. Being born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I grew
up surrounded by people whose families immigrated to the United States
from all corners of the world. My closest friends in high school and college
were not only from the United States, but also from Asia, Europe, Africa, South
America, and the Caribbean. I took for granted that such a diverse experience
was typical. In my adult life I came to understand the blessing and beauty of
being exposed to such diversity, none of which would have been possible
without people having the ability to move around the globe to pursue their
dreams for a better life.
When people ask me where I’m from, I can see the surprise on their face
when I say, ”I’m from Brooklyn.” Their usual response is, “I don’t meet too
many people who were born and raised here.” My typical reply is “Neither do
I!” The world is not a fixed place. It is constantly changing. History is still being
made. Borders are being contested and becoming more politically charged
every year. Home is a place that is simultaneously escaped from and soughtafter. When I think about home and its many definitions, I am reminded of the
words of the genius entertainer Rakim who summed it up perfectly: “It ain’t
where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.”
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Frank Bowling
Mother’s House with Beware of the Dog, 1966
Bowling’s Variety Store, Main Street, New Amsterdam, British Guiana, 1966
Bowling’s Variety Store, Main Street, New Amsterdam, British Guiana, 1953
(Photo: Argenis Apolinario)
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